Click below to to listen in as Dennis Tardan and I discuss the May 18 Vision Quest Retreats Event; Reclaiming the Goddess and the movement behind the name. To get more info and to register for this event in Washington, DC click Mini Retreat! 
Listen to internet radio with DennisTardan on Blog Talk Radio
Happy Women Owned Business Wednesday! This first video is the introduction to a short series (1/5) videos of Women Business Owners and what they love about being business owners. For more check out Women Owned Business Wednesdays on Facebook
Do you want to live your vision of success? Check out Vision Quest Retreats’ next event in DC; Mini Retreat for Powerful Women-Reclaiming the Goddess and join the Vision Quest Retreats tribe on Facebook!
Video 2/5 Danielle Smith of Danielle Smith Media tells us what she loves about being a business owner.
You can connect with Danielle on her business Facebook page!
Video 3/5 Stacey Ferguson a.k.a. Justice Fergie Founder, Justice Fergie Lifestyle Media tells us why she is passionate about owning her own business.
You can connect with Stacey at her blog.
Video 4/5 Aliza Sherman Author of Mom Incorporated, Keynoter, Digital Strategist and owner of Tech With Aliza tells us why she loves doing what she does and owning her own business.
You can connect with Aliza on her Facebook page.
To view video 5/5 click Jacqueline Lara of MPact PR as she celebrates her 2-yr anniversary in business!!!
To learn more about how I can help you realize your vision of being an entrepreneur click Being of Service.
Take some time out and network with other Powerful women in an inspiring atmosphere while acquiring skills to help you succeed no matter where you are on your Heroine’s Journey. It will be a night of art, magic and empowerment! This mini retreat is a part of the Powerful Women Networking Event Series.
Once you have identified the clutter in the various areas of your life; mind, body, spirit/soul, behavior and home, that it’s time for you to be rid of (Part 1 of this post gives examples) you will create an action plan with a timeline to achieve this. For physical clutter, for example, I suggest a schedule that outlines goals and when you will work on clearing (you will need to break this into chunks).
If it’s related to your body or spirit you also need a plan. For example I am currently doing a “BODY-MIND-SPIRIT CLEANSE” through the Jobri Center for Integrative Health in which I am letting go of certain toxic foods and adding more healthy food into my diet. This cleanse, as the name suggests, also focuses on letting go of the negative stuff we harbour in our minds and spirits.
While I am also engaged in de-cluttering my space right now i.e. purging files of old papers etc., this blog post is really more about shedding negative and self limiting beliefs and attitudes. Remember Shakti Gawain’s definition of clearing; letting go of false constricting beliefs and patterns and replacing them with positive supportive ones.
Try this Success Coaching exercise for CLEARING:
1) Make a list of all negative beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that you hold e.g. low self esteem, jealousy, comparing yourself to others.
2) On another piece of paper write down positive beliefs to replace these. Turn them into affirmations where you are able e.g. “I love myself exactly as I am.”
3) Create an ideal scenario of who you wish to be, include how you will feel, what you will believe and how you will act. Don’t sensor yourself. This is your ideal, make it grand and beautiful! This must be written in the affirmative and present tense. e.g. “I am confident in my abilities. I feel full of joy as I share my gifts and talents with others.” versus “I will be confident in my abilities. I will feel joy when I stop hiding my gifts and talents from others.” Do you see the difference?
4) Take the list you made of negative stuff and burn it, bury it or place it in a G*d/G*ddess/Higher Power Box to have it removed (see video for further instruction).
5) Take your ideal scenario and either put it where you can see it, place in your vision book, or put it in your G*d/G*ddess/Higher Power Box.
6) You can always say some prayers to help you with this. It’s really personal and you should trust your intuition. If you need help with prayers I recommend Marianne Williamson’s “Illuminata: A Return to Prayer”
7) Feel free to get creative with any aspect of the above exercise (s). If you need some help feel free to drop me a line and as always your comments on this post are welcome.
Much continued success and well being,
Nicole
P.S. If you are a woman pursuing your Vision on the Heroine’s Quest join our tribe at the Vision Quest Retreats face book page
If you are a Woman Business Owner come play with us every Wed. at Women Owned Business Wednesdays; a 24 Hr Happy Hour where you meet cool people and win cool stuff!
Spring is a perfect time to do some clearing; letting go of false constricting beliefs and patterns and replacing them with positive supportive ones (Gawain, Shakti 1995). While we often associate Spring with a time of rebirth and new growth we don’t often reflect on the fact that we must clear out what is “dead” or no longer of use to us to make room for this new growth. Think of your garden for example where you clean up and prune out dead branches etc. to make room for new growth and to make a healthier bush or lawn.
What is it time for you to shed, let go of and clear?
Consider the areas of our lives; mind, body, spirit/soul, behavior and our homes. Below are some examples of things you may wish to rid yourself of.
Mind: negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, unkind thoughts about self and others.
Body: toxins such as alcohol or cigarettes, stress, foods that aren’t good for you like excessive fat, sugar/carbs,
Spirit/Soul: character defects like hate anger, jealousy, or selfishness, ego, and low self esteem.
Behaviors: procrastination, unkind behavior, laziness, acting out, addictive behaviors (including workaholism and constant worry), Obsessive compulsive behavior and pushing yourself too hard.
Home/Physical Environment: clutter, junk old stuff you don’t need or use, dirt or negative people and relationships, financial wreckage, debt, and unpaid bills.
Success Coaching Exercise: Once you have identified the things it’s time to clear out of your life make a list. You may want to use the suggested categories above or make your own. Reflect on those that you wish to tackle this Spring and jot down 1-3 actions you commit to taking to begin the clearing. For example if you decide it’s time to rid yourself of negative thoughts about yourself, for actions you might list 1) write down these thoughts and burn or bury them, 2) create a few positive affirmations to counter these negative thoughts.
Don’t try and tackle your whole list at once! After you do the above exercise come back next week to get some tips on what to do next with this list and first draft of your action plan.
If you want a bit more help with clearing and cleaning up the “old stuff” standing in the way of your success or are interested in other tools to aid you on your heroine’s quest feel free to drop me a line or click Services to learn more about the therapy and success coaching services I offer through Vision Quest Retreats.
Much continued success and well being,
Nicole
P.S. If you are a woman pursuing your Vision on the Heroine’s Quest join our tribe at the Vision Quest Retreats face book page
If you are a Woman Business Owner come play with us every Wed. at Women Owned Business Wednesdays; a 24 Hr Happy Hour where you meet cool people and win cool stuff!
SPECIAL GIVEAWAY!! By joining the chat you will receive 20% off the upcoming {re}Treat Yourself 2012: (The discount code will be revealed during the chat on April 4)
*Guest Hostess: Stacey Ferguson, Founder and Chief Curator of Justice Fergie Lifestyle Media, the Be Blogalicious community and conference celebrating diversity in social media, and hostess of {re}Treat Yourself 2012: a lifestyle redesign getaway for working mothers. On Twitter: @JusticeFergie
HOW the ONLINE CHAT WORKS:
1) At 7:30 PM EST on Wed 4/4 a note with the event topic and further instructions will be posted on the wall of Vision Quest Retreats.
2) Please read the related blog/view the video and leave your comments and interact with those on the wall.
3) Post links to your websites, blogs, twitter pages etc. THIS IS A NETWORKING EVENT SO TELL US ABOUT YOU!
4) SPECIAL GIVEAWAY!! By joining the chat you will receive 20% off the upcoming {re}Treat Yourself 2012! (The discount code will be revealed during the chat on April 4)
5) Tell your friends about it! (the more the richer and merrier the discussion)
Location: Vision Quest Retreats Facebook Page
Hope to “see” you there!
Nicole
R. Nicole Cutts, Ph.D., Founder Vision Quest Retreats Success Coaching, Therapy Services and Empowering Events for Women 202.669.5777 www.visionquestretreats.co
Are you a busy mom feeling frazzled, overwhelmed and lost in the process of juggling career, family and home? Do you laugh at the thought of “me” time? Do you live for the weekends so that you just breathe? If so this retreat is especially for you…
Moms who juggle a career and home are almost always frazzled, pressed for time and constantly searching for that elusive “work-life balance.” We can easily lose ourselves in the process. While that perfect balance may be as likely as finding Big Foot, there are certainly some refreshing techniques and helpful hacks that can ease that overwhelming feeling and allow you to enjoy your days, your work and your family.
(Click Agenda to Learn More and See Below)
We’ll be sharing those refreshing techniques at {re}Treat Yourself: working moms edition, a 2-day lifestyle getaway at a luxuriously relaxing AAA Four Diamond resort, treating you to life design sessions on:
A carefully selected team of talented professionals will walk through each aspect of the life of a working mom and leave you armed with thoughtful and practical solutions. We’ll also have downtime to rejuvenate our minds and bodies with some pampering and to complete at least ONE of those nagging projects that you never seem to have time for.
Give yourself the gift of 48 hours to focus on you. Your family will thank you. Your work will thank you. You will thank you.
{re}Treat Yourself!
All-inclusive retreat package includes 1-night deluxe guest room accommodations, sanity-saving sessions, lunch on Friday and Saturday, Breakfast on Saturday, wine soiree, 15% discount on services at Spa Minerale on Friday, and gift bag.
Location: Lansdowne is a AAA Four Diamond Resort, on the bluffs of the Potomac River, where stylish guest rooms meld with country manor comfort. It’s got spa serenity and pulse-quickening play on world-class golf courses. Intimate dining and endless local attractions. The resort is 30 miles from Washington, DC and minutes from Dulles International Airport. 
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN Spaces are limited.
For more information Contact: Stacey Ferguson stacey@justicefergie.com
If you missed my discussion with host Dennis Tardan and Alianna Maren, author of Unveiling: The Inner Journey on the role of the Heroine’s Quest in women’s lives today click HERE to Listen.
Are you on the Heroine’s Quest? Listen to this discussion on the feminine path and key archetypes and learn how to leverage your most powerful aspects as you navigate the heroine’s journey to self actualization!
What is a Heroine’s Quest? -By Alianna J. Maren, Ph.D.
Dorothy, when she went to the Land of Oz, was on a Heroine’s Quest. So was Lyra in The Golden Compass. So was Sarah in the movie Labyrinth. We enter into a Heroine’s Quest when we leave the safety and comfort of our mother’s home, and our father’s protection, and venture forth on our own.
We can begin a Heroine’s Quest at any time in our life. Taking on a challenging graduate degree program is a form of Questing. So would be joining any branch of the Armed Services, or even joining the Peace Corps. While these typify the Heroic Quests of the young woman, we also can start new Quests as mature adults. If we leave the safety of an established job to start our own business, we are Questing. Even if we begin a new venture within our existing company – if we introduce a new program or launch a new marketing campaign of our own design, we have some sort of Quest happening.
Questing is when we leave the known and safe confines of what has defined our lives up until now. This is how we go from being a “Princess” to being both “King” and “Queen” in our own lives. And as shown in the recent book, Unveiling: The Inner Journey by Alay’nya (the nom de plume for Alianna Maren), we need both the “King” or “Emperor” aspect (building structures, having well-defined plans and objectives) and the “Queen” or “Empress” aspect (nurturing and care-taking) as healthy adults.
When we begin Questing, we don psychological armor and venture forth. We access our inner Warrior mode. This is an important and validating stage. However, it is also a transition stage. As we progress, we need to learn to relinquish the ego-validation of Questing and the thrill of being a Warrior, and move on to the more established and grounded roles that come with governing and nurturing our new kingdom.
Dr. Cutts, in her short story Book I of The Adventures of Princess Isabelle: The embryo goddess and the morho, in Many Paths, Many Feet, uses Princess Isabelle as a figurative character depicting her own Quest initiation.
If you are a woman pursuing your Vision on the Heroine’s Quest join our tribe at the Vision Quest Retreats face book page
If you are a Woman Business Owner come play with us every Wed. at Women Owned Business Wednesdays; a 24 Hr Happy Hour where you meet cool people and win cool stuff!
Much continued success and well being in 2012!!!
Nicole
Being embodied at work can lead to greater success? Being more aware of and able to control your body increases emotional intelligence, your ability to manage stress and leads to greater well being. Watch this video to learn 3 simple office yoga techniques to help reduce stress, increase concentration and invigorate you during any work day.
Please join us on the Vision Quest Retreats Facebook page Feb 29 from 8-9 PM EST for the next Powerful Women ONLINE Networking Event where we will discuss the benefits of being embodied at work.
If you are a woman pursuing your Vision on the Heroine’s Quest join our tribe at the Vision Quest Retreats face book page
If you are a Woman Business Owner come play with us every Wed. at Women Owned Business Wednesdays; a 24 Hr Happy Hour where you meet cool people and win cool stuff!
Much continued success and well being,
Nicole
P.S. To learn more about somatic success coaching techniques click Success Coaching or drop me a line at Dr.Cutts@VisionQuestRetreats.com to set up a FREE 30 min consultation.
I had a great discussion with MC Lyte, Loni Love and Angelique Perrin, the hostesses of Cafe Mocha radio this week. Tune in to Cafe Mocha this weekend to learn more about…The Problem-Prescription Drug Use/Abuse. Why are we seeing this problem? Are doctors to blame or do we all play a part? What can you do? To protect yourself? To protect your children? To get help for you or your loved ones?
How to listen:
Click http://www.CafeMochaRadio.com. The times and days are listed on the right hand side. If you click on the link, it will take you to an affiliate station where you can listen live. Cafe Mocha is heard in DC and on the web on http://www.WHURWorld.com Sundays 6p-8p est.
You also have 3 chances to catch the show on Sirius/XM 141. Saturday 1p-3p, Tues & Thurs 10am-12pm.
P.S. The segment in which I’m featured airs in the second hour.
NOTE: If you or someone you love has questions or feels they may have a problem with presrciption drugs visit http://www.na.org/
…oh and feel free to leave your comments on the issue on this page